Lava isnt usually Green is it? (Lava Lamps)

Member Name: scuba_angel

Product:	Lava Lamps
Date:	26/10/08 (160 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: a hypnotic focal point to almost any room

Disadvantages: the bulb might pop, and its heavy.

My family I suspect like every other has a room or rooms in the house which rarely get used, and as a result they end up cluttered with the things we rarely use or have used and no longer have space for. Today for some reason I decided to have a sort out of the things in there which I no longer want or need, and came across my sisters old lava lamp.

It consists of three parts a solid base, which contains the light bulb and the electroniky bits, a glass 'bubble' which contains coloured wax and a blueish looking liquid, and a metal 'cap' which covers the screw top on the bubble - I assume so you can change the water in it if it gets too dirty.

The whole thing when assembled stands at almost 50cm tall, and is rather heavy (I dont have scales handy to find out just how heavy though).

Plugging it in it takes around 5 minutes for the wax in the lamp to start its mesmerising blobby display. It is best viewed with the rest of the lights off in the room. This particular lamp is blue and green, but there are a myriad of other colour combinations avalible from the traditional (?) wax ones like this to others which have glitter sparkling up and down the bottle.

The best known company for making lava lamps is Mathmos though there are other companies around making them they are under different names. Mathmos lamps start at around £45 with free delivery in the UK should you order online. I think the one I rediscovered is a Mathmos lamp and we have had it for at least 15 years (I remember it when we lived in our previous house), so I would imagine a lamp will last as long as its owner wants it to.

Given that the main component of the lamp is made of glass it is worth knowing that you can buy the glass bubble part on its own should you break it, also the bulbs are fully replaceable, but should you decide you dont like the base yours in on you could also buy a different shaped bases and tops.

Now if you're all ok with it Im going to get back to the important business of watching the glowing oozing wax and its hypnotic dance.

Summary: Who needs drugs with this light show?